First of all, welcome and glad to make your acquaintance! In the past few Ludum Dares, there's been a great influx of new developers joining around, and I'm half expecting this to continue with that trend. While it's not much, I'd like to share some words of encouragement for you. And heck, even if you've already participated before or are a veteran, it might give some extra insight. Maybe even share your experiences below? That'd be great.

Remember that there is no "right way" to participate in Ludum Dare or game jams in general. Some people come here to try to learn how to get into game development. Others want to experiment with new mechanics. Some have tried to go beyond their boundaries of skill, and some even want to put their skills to the test to get the top positions in the jam.

Whichever is your reason to join, *I hope you feel welcome and at home while surrounded with all of us. * Do not feel discouraged if your end project is not as great as you thought it'd be. It happens to hundreds of people here, every jam. We're all learning, just like you.

If it's your first time participating in a jam, and you're not used to these short game development bursts, you might want to make things very, very simple. There are some people that do grandiose stuff solo, and there are teams that work as well-oiled machines (and I don't want to brag, but my team at Whales And Games has made some jam games that have been praised for their extra polish. I love ya, fam!).

For most of the newcomers, consider scope. If you're just getting used to certain tools and finding your sea legs, the process of learning and getting used to what you're doing will get in the way of development. I'd recommend you to start with something simple and bare bones, and build from there. Your game doesn't need to have a dozen levels and 3 game loops from the start. It can, but one of the main skills you should try to learn on the jam is to work under a very strict, unforgiving deadline.

The jam lasts for a few days, but your game and experience can continue evolving past the deadline. A lot of people take their game and continue updating and polishing it beyond the jam. I'm not telling you to try to make a commercial game out of yours, specially if it's your first jam. But, say, some people think they could have learned more with just a bit of time. Others don't make it to the deadline, yet decide to make their attempt work or be more presentable. Even "giving up" doesn't have to be the end. There are always more jams and more Ludum Dares, so keep participating.

Speaking of jam games that got support post-release, let me quickly pitch ours to you. We made Townseek, our casual exploration trading game, during the Global Game Jam. Done in a very tight schedule too. We updated it post-release, and we're further enhancing it for Steam! Do check it out!

Basically, all I want to say is that you should participate in this game jam however you see fit. But the core of the jam, the spirit, is that you are not alone in this, and we're all learning together. By the end of the jam, you should really get into playing other people's games. I mean, aside from the 20 ratings requirement to get your score. You'll find games of all skill levels, likely have a great time playing many of them, and maybe even learn a trick or two for your next project! Get to know people too! We've made a lot of connections thanks to Ludum Dare!

You be you, and do as you can. While my team won't participate this time around, we're still looking forward to seeing what pops up from this jam. If you'd like to share your stuff with us, you're more than welcome to join our Discord Server! Some people there are participating here too, after all!

So get ready, and we hope that you make a lot of jam! :whale: